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The following information is available in the school's booklet for parents.

Admission to RDM

Is open to children living within school catchment, which includes the village of New Scone, Old Scone, and various areas on its border. Families on the edge of the area can consult a map in the school to clarify their entitlement for admission. Any child living outwith the immediate area can apply for admission by completing a placing request form to be returned to the Education Office.

The Council places adverts in the local press each January to intimate arrangements to the parents of children due to enter school. Children who are aged 5 in August, or who will reach the age of 5 by the end of February in their Primary 1 year are entitled to register. These children should be registered at school by letter or by telephone giving the child’s name, address, date of birth, and parents’ / guardians’ names.

Arrangements are made for the children to visit the school on several occasions, when they begin to get familiar with the school and meet their class teacher. On their first visit, parents are asked to show the child’s birth certificate (to confirm date of birth) and child benefit book (to confirm child’s address). Parents are also given the chance to find out about the P1 year ahead, and ask questions. We also give these parents the opportunity to come up to school in September to discuss how their children have settled.

Parents entering the area who wish to enrol during the session would normally contact the school directly to arrange an appropriate time to visit.

If for any reason there are alterations to these times (eg school visits), notice is given in writing with at least 24 hours notice.

Lunch Arrangements

Are catered for by the school kitchen which is operated by the Council under the Direct Services Organisation (DSO). They cook full meals on the premises.

School meals are presently charged at £1.65 daily. Pupils pay for meals in advance (preferably by cheque). In the dining hall we have a computerised system utilising biometrics. This automatically deducts the cost of meals from the child’s account. Some children are entitled to free school meals (please see section D later in this booklet). Approximately 4.5% of RDM pupils are entitled to free school meals.

Families receiving Income Support / Jobseekers Allowance / Income Based support are entitled to free meals. Application forms are available at school or the Education Office.

Space is provided in the dining hall for children who wish to take pack lunches. The children are supervised as they eat. They will be encouraged to eat well, but we will never force them. At both lunch time and morning interval, staff are available to see to first aid needs etc. Children who go home for lunch should not normally return to school more than 5 minutes before the start of the afternoon session, especially on wet days.

Emergency Procedures
(including bad weather arrangements)

Require us to have an up to date note of an emergency contact for each child, in case the child becomes ill or has an accident during the school day. This must be in addition to the parents, as normally we would have tried to contact the child’s home first. Emergency contacts should have a phone and be able to collect children from school. Please notify us of any changes. A form is filled in when the child is enrolled, but we periodically update these. In an emergency if no parent or other contact can be reached, the school will take appropriate action which may involve a visit to hospital casualty.

In extreme adverse weather conditions, there will be notification on Radio Tay. Pupils will not be sent home during the school day without prior notification, but in adverse conditions parents from outlying areas may wish to collect pupils. Pupils travelling on contract buses & taxis are notified of their own arrangements including a direct contact number for their transport provider.

If there are any changes to your circumstances which could affect the child, we would be grateful for this information. We appreciate that some of these details are private and so assure you of total confidentiality. (If telephone numbers are ex-directory, please indicate this.)

After School Club

Since 1995 there has been an After School Care Club operating in the school. This is through Perth & Kinross Council, and is funded by parents with Council assistance. It operates from 8.00am to 9.00am and from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm on school days, and during inservice days and holidays.

Insurance

It is worth noting that the Council only carries insurance against its legal liability for personal injury or third party loss or damage. Parents therefore who wish full insurance for their children must make their own alternative arrangements.

Expensive or sentimental value items should NOT be brought to school. We also discourage children bringing toys to school as they could get lost or broken.

Uniform

Is worn by all RDM pupils both by the request of the school and the desire of the parent body. The formal school uniform is as follows:-

• Navy (or grey) school trousers, skirt or pinafore
• White or blue shirt or blouse
• School tie
• Navy (or grey) pullover or cardigan
• Shoes (rather than trainers) should be black or brown, and a blazer may also be worn. A badge is available for blazers. All the children change into indoor shoes when entering the class.
• The school also has a navy sweatshirt with the school badge embroidered on it. These are available on order from the school. Other items of uniform are available from various shops in town.

In hot weather (primarily the summer term) the children may wish to wear the informal uniform, namely a white polo shirt (with the option of a sweatshirt on top), or a plain blue and white short-sleeved school dress. When children are on school trips and educational visits they are still expected to wear uniform (unless specifically told otherwise), for easy identification in crowds, and because they represent the school.

Children are expected to have a change of clothing for PE lessons. Plain coloured shorts and tee shirt are required. ALL jewellery (including ear studs etc) should be removed for safety at gym lessons. Parents are also advised to provide an old shirt or smock for painting and craft lessons to avoid marks getting onto clothing. Primary 4-7 children are expected to take the responsibility themselves for wearing these at appropriate times.

School Clothing Grants are available from the Council for those receiving Family Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, or Income Support. These are not automatic and only one application per year is considered.

Health Care

Is aided by visits from the School Medical Officer and School Nurse. This is not intended in any way to replace visits to your own GP, but acts as a valuable backup service. Regular dental, medical and hygiene checks are made. You will be notified of any action required subsequent to such inspections.

Health topics are covered by the school teaching staff as a part of our programme each year in Health Education. Pupils in Primary 6 use the TV broadcasts, ‘Living and Growing,’ as a part of their sex education.

Child Protection

Given on-going public concern on the subject of child abuse, and recent changes in the law, schools are now required to report if we think any child has come to harm as a consequence of possible abuse.

In each school, two members of staff have been appointed to be responsible for Child Protection matters and has been given special training. In our school they are the Deputy Head Teacher and one other member of staff.

Should you wish to talk further about child protection and the safety of children please feel free to contact her at the school. As a school we have good contacts with School Medical Officers, Social Workers and Police, any or all of whom may become involved if abuse is suspected. We will always ensure that you are informed and participate in any action which we may initiate regarding your child.

Children should be collected from school if they have to have medical, dental or similar appointments during the school day. A note should be sent in advance to the teacher.

Attendance at School

Attendance rates at RDMS are better than National and Regional averages at every school stage. Most absences are explained by letter or phone. We discourage holidays being taken during term time.

Other Council Services

In the form of speech therapy, Dance Tutor, Educational Support Services, Behavioural Support Worker, Educational Development Officers and Educational Psychological Service are available to the school as required. Any of these may work with classes or groups. If they become involved with individual children (eg. the Educational Psychologist), it is only after consultation with parents.

Transport

Is provided for Primary school children living more than 2 miles from the school. In certain cases the Council may provide transport to some living nearer the school if they regard that there is a problem with safety, should the child have to walk.

Those living outwith the school catchment area who have made successful placing requests will only be granted transport if they have been allocated to the school at the Council’s request (eg because the local school has no spaces).

Children granted Council transport will be notified directly of collection and delivery times and locations. They will have to make their own way to these bus points.

Music

All children in Primaries 4 & 5 learn to play the recorder. A letter is issued to parents at the appropriate time to indicate what recorder and music to buy (we organise this centrally at much reduced prices). In addition, at various stages, children are given the opportunity to be tried out for instrumental tuition in brass, double bass, cello, piano or strings. A note is issued to the classes concerned, and provision is made on a selective basis. Parents should be aware of the high level of commitment often needed on their part, to encourage the child to practice, before requesting lessons. Costs of tuition are set each year. There is a scheme for purchase of instruments for these pupils at favourable rates. Pupils who take part in instrumental tuition have the opportunity of playing in various orchestras in the Perth area. Pupils will only be allowed to learn one orchestral instrument through the school system.

Visits Out of School

We regard the immediate school environment as a useful resource in the education of your children. We will therefore make frequent use of the area round the school and within the village. For such visits we do not issue a letter home. However, if the visit involves a bus journey, expense or will affect the children’s hours at school, we will notify you of details. We abide by the Council’s guidelines for adult supervision, and so parents are often asked to accompany these trips.

P7 pupils have a week’s residential trip in the summer term. This varies in its form, but this session the pupils are again going to Belgium and Holland.

Secondary Schooling

Most RDM pupils normally transfer to Perth Academy. The Academy prospectus is made available to all P7 pupils in the summer term. Staff from that school speak to our P7 pupils and the pupils have the opportunity of a 2 day visit to the Academy to follow a typical first year timetable.

Pupils who wish to attend another secondary school should contact the school of their choice in the first instance for information regarding vacancies and placing requests. (Placement in a Secondary school depends on the location of the child’s home and not the Primary school attended. Parents of children who come to RDM by their own request should be clear about this if Academy places are limited and they live in a different catchment area.)

Parental Involvement in School

Is enhanced by the existence of the Parent Council since August 2007.This replaced the School Board and PTA at RDM.

Meetings are held two or three times a term, normally in the school. The Council also promotes contact with other parents. If you wish appropriate matters to be raised, please contact the school. Alternatively any member of the Council may be contacted by letter care of the school who will pass on correspondence.

NB. All matters relating to individual children, teachers or classes should be raised with the Head Teacher as they will not be discussed at Council meetings.

The Parent Council has its own website at http://www.rdmparentcouncil.co.uk.

Pupil Values

Behaviour standards at RDM are usually high. This is in part due to the expectations of the school, but also due to the manner in which the children have been brought up. We value the liaison between the school and home, and are in regular contact when we see the breakdown in a child’s expected behaviour.

Where children are given more leeway at home than in school, we expect them to conform to the school’s standards while in school. For this we expect, and usually get, parental support. We do appreciate knowing, in confidence, if there are circumstances which are affecting the child (eg. family bereavement or break-up), as we can then be sensitive to needs, and make reasonable allowances for any abnormal behaviour.

We are firmly committed to the elimination of any form of discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, religion, disability or social background.

Bullying

(Extracted from a policy agreed by staff on 26th January 1993)
An important aspect of children’s development is the relationship with their peer group. Hopefully this group is friendly and supportive in most cases. However, there is no doubt that many children experience some form of bullying during their school career. It is our intention that we identify problems as they develop, and eradicate inappropriate behaviour before it causes any damage.

"Bullying" is any form of intimidation put upon another child with any regularity. This could be: physical, verbal, by gesture, or by exclusion from play activities; individual or as a group; over a short or long term; within or outwith the same age group.

It can have long term effects on a child, even into adulthood. No child has the right to inflict this on another child. The "bully" often has problems too. These should be recognised and dealt with (if possible), thus reducing the bully’s inclination to inflict pressure on others. Bullying can develop when a child’s home circumstances have changed. Bullies have often been victims themselves, who then exert power over others.

The school is not always aware of the extent of a problem, so a close liaison with the home (of both bully and victim) is essential. All reports of bullying are taken seriously, even if it turns out to be a more straightforward case of pupil disagreement that resolves itself. Some "bullying" is little more than experimentation with power and position, that does not develop. More serious is a pattern of consistently unacceptable behaviour.

Some children bully physically while others bully emotionally. Both are taken seriously and dealt with.

At RDMS we would hope that it is clear to all the children that bullying is unacceptable. The staff will attempt to identify instances, the root causes, and effects of bullying. The topic will be mentioned at assemblies and in class on a regular basis, so that the pupils can feel free to discuss it and illustrate the extent of a developing problem.

It is hoped that all parents will continue to cooperate in this effort by notifying the school of any bullying that occurs. It is also hoped that parents will assist in dealing with the matter when their children are involved either as the bully or the victim. Some instances are a spill over from parental or neighbourhood disagreements, which are best kept out of school.

It is important that parents appreciate that there are many sides to most stories. Often they only hear their own child’s version of events. The child is not necessarily lying, but rather telling the story only from one point of view. At school we must try to hear other views within the time available for pursuing such investigations. Sometimes a case will be closed not proven.

Not every problem will be solved. Some will only be contained.

School Records

In school we keep essential records on the child’s progress. These are largely made up of the reports sent home annually. They also include reports from previous schools - again most of which are copies of what will have been sent home. Where a child has had specific problems (eg physical impairment) there may also be relevant notes. Medical records are not included - indeed the school is not notified of medical matters unless you as parents tell us. We appreciate knowing relevant information.

We computerise many of our records. Legislation is in place to ensure parental access to written and computerised records where appropriate. Parents and pupils wishing to avail themselves of this must submit their request in writing to the Head Teacher.

Twice annually there are parent / teacher contact evenings which give the school and home the opportunity to discuss the child’s progress. These are presently in November and in March. Written reports are issued in June.